My Theory

[MasterCaine]

Good theory, Meo. I think today's shallow movies and games reflect the shallowness and short attention spans of many sheeple, especially younger sheeple. These corporations are in it for the money, and only for the money. They don't give a crap about a few hardcore players who want realism. They are giving the shallow masses what they desire.

I think it's now safe to say that SH5 will most likely be an online arcade game.

[JU_88]

Lay off the Kids, they just thrive on on what us adults feed them.
feed them crap and they will adjust to crap.

[Steeltrap]

One interesting question is the degree to which the game industry became a business and not an art. Really clever, long-lasting gameplay is generally a thing of the past.

These days it's all flashy graphics to catch your eye but the underlying game is shallow/boring. As someone said, it's a bit like music. I think music videos are one of the worst things to happen to music, as they all end up looking like some soft-porn with hyperative elevator music behind them.

Once you needed clever, entertaining gameplay to keep you interested, as the graphics were really fairly basic. Similarly, companies needed to get their games right on release as they couldn't be patched via internet. In short, they were an evolution from board games.

Now they are flashy, pretty emptiness, with poor AI and often shockingly poor quality issues.

When in doubt, blame the marketers. They'll dumb anything down and cheapen it in nearly every sense of the word as they are remunerated wholly by sales, and not long-term customer retention.

[Mud]

Some FS add-on planes do have a steep learning curve before you can fly it.
And as far as I know they sell well and comes with a price tag.
It's not what the market needs but the publishers needs to push out a game asap.
It's far more easier to give a command like crash dive in a so called "simulator" then push all the buttons yourself to do the same job.
So it's not the gamer who is hasty 'cos he can spend 10 hours a day to play a game but the game industry who's in a rush to make profit.

Mud

[the_belgian]

as i fear it,silent hunter 8 will be a 3-D movie on wich you can select "win-lose" at the beginning.
after that you sit back and view the game,sometimes you will be forced to add some upgrades(maybe they will include an "automatic upgrades") but your greatest worry will become that the pizza is delivered before your sub attacks a convoy!
after a beautifull fight(auto screenshots included),you will then be able to share the results on this forum in stunning 3-D(and for those with a better computer with smell of the sea and oil included).
some of the older generation will then shock the newagers with their stories about silent hunter 5 where you had to make every dicision yourself and could not let go of the mouse(mouse?what is a mouse?) while scanning the horizon without risking to miss an airplane...

[Méo]

Originally Posted by Steeltrap

One interesting question is the degree to which the game industry became a business and not an art. Really clever, long-lasting gameplay is generally a thing of the past.

Particularly true when I think about games like Fallout 1 and Panzer General 2, those were the good old days.

I guess the best thing to do is not having too much expectation for early march, although it would be somewhat hard now to have high expectations.

[Mud]

Originally Posted by the_belgian

as i fear it,silent hunter 8 will be a 3-D movie on wich you can select "win-lose" at the beginning.

snip/

(and for those with a better computer with smell of the sea and oil included).

No computer mate, future is console

Mud

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Méo

the gaming market is largely influenced by our modern way of life.

i.e. Today everything has to be quick. Quick dinner, quick training, quick entertaining... and so on.

Today? Actually, I think over the last 30 years it's been that way. People have grown up this way. That's why the internet is full of people who whip out instant generalizations without waiting for the facts.

[Diopos]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Today? Actually, I think over the last 30 years it's been that way. People have grown up this way. That's why the internet is full of people who whip out instant generalizations without waiting for the facts.

Eventually we'll get rid of the "facts" altogether and just have "opinions" ..., prepackaged ones, too.





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[sav112]

Originally Posted by Mud

No computer mate, future is console

Mud

You might be right, I watch in awe as I play with My best friends wee one on the xbox. He's seven and before you can say "What is it you want me to play" he has it loaded up (Modern Warfare) online and fighting with others in some zombie attack mode two minutes flat and looking amazing. The only thing he has to ask is permission to use the Massive flat screen TV when I’m there.

I’m always amazed at the easy he can do all this at seven. He plays with others in his street after school and they are playing as a team and talking to each other with head sets…Its quick instant these days.

God knows at seven I was probably out on my bike and at best remember waiting for ages for BBC Model B games to load up or worse still spectrums with there tapes loading up and lets be honest they looked crap but we loved them. "Elite" anyone!

[Adriatico]

Originally Posted by theluckyone17

Could be Ubisoft and the Dev's are going by the assumption that the "short attention span" market is larger, and they can make more profit by orienting the game towards them.

However, they've still got the core followers in us old school simulator types. We're obviously devoted to the series. We're willing to spend the time modding the game into a simulator.

So if they market the game towards the "SAS" crowd, in addition to providing the tools to modify the game into a sim, then they've hit both markets with a minimum of effort (thereby maximizing profits).

I have the same understanding... since the first screenshots.

BUT, there is a catch... what % of SH moders community would be willing to mode "online handcuffs"... if they are not even inspired to buy it.

I don't think that GWX3 would ever appear on DRM platform...

( "short attention span" market doesn't seem that large also... but it is not the topic )

You can not cut "simulation base" to 15-20% and expect modding army...


And it is not only "the number of modders" issue, but: would they be inspired to spend hours and nights - for disappearing community...

[Méo]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Today? Actually, I think over the last 30 years it's been that way.

Well it's your opinion. I would say it is particularly true now when we can access almost everything with internet without delay. (Although I did not mention it in the OP, this is what I meant)

Edit: not only internet, cell phone, GPS, etc.

[Adriatico]

Right Meo...
When I was a kid, one of the greatest events was Sunday breakfast and lunch... and my kid is "offended" for being forced to join us at table, for missing part of cartoon at TV or "pausing" the Lego Star Wars on PC...

[Méo]

Originally Posted by Adriatico

Right Meo...
When I was a kid, one of the greatest events was Sunday breakfast and lunch... and my kid is "offended" for being forced to join us at table, for missing part of cartoon at TV or "pausing" the Lego Star Wars on PC...

Ok mister, since you seem to be so clever maybe you have a better explanation why deep simulations like Aces of the deep are no longer in development? (except for independent development with very limited budget).

So we could learn something.

[cappy70]

I agree with the fast pace and what Neal added about that it has been going on for awhile now, i.e. PC ( Amiga was waaay superior as gaming platforms in early 80:ies, and that's nearly 30 years go), for example, since mid 80:ies, I mean regarding PC in a "value way" regarding speed etc,etc.
Internet "started" about 15 years ago on a broad market, I got my connection 1995.